1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ground working equipment, such as an agricultural implement, and, more particularly, to a system for attaching row units on an agricultural implement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, planting implements (e.g., planters) are towed behind a tractor or other work vehicle via a mounting bracket secured to a rigid frame (tool bar) of the implement. These planting implements typically include multiple row units distributed across the width of the implement. Each row unit is configured to deposit seeds at a desired depth beneath the soil surface, thereby establishing rows of planted seeds. For example, each row unit may include a ground engaging tool that forms a seeding path for seed deposition into the soil. As the implement travels across a field, the opener excavates a trench into the soil, and seeds are deposited into the trench. Individual row units are usually attached to a common implement tool bar, for example by U-bolts which fasten row unit receiving head brackets to the tool bar.
Some planters, known as splitters, have the ability to plant two different crops. For example, corn is typically planted in rows spaced 30 inches on center from one another while beans are more closely spaced at 15 inches between rows. A planter having 31 row units may have adjacent row units longitudinally offset from one another to allow field debris to pass around the offset units. Alternate ones of the units, 15 in this example, may be pivoted out of the way for planting, e.g., corn, in more widely spaced rows while the those units may be pivoted down and employed in planting crop such as beans in 31 more narrowly spaced rows.
Some farmers purchase a planter and modify it to change spacing. They may buy a 24 row planter with 20 inch spacing and change it to 12 row with 38 inch spacing to plant specialty crops. Tool bars are becoming increasingly crowded. Today with all of the obstructions on top of the bar (vacuum systems, hydraulic systems, and other structures) modifying the planter configuration is difficult.
What is needed in the art is a simple technique for modifying a planter configuration.